The vice president of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged African nations to prioritise indigenous military innovations and technological advancement in order to effectively tackle the continent’s persistent security challenges.

Speaking at the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja on Monday, Shettima stressed that Africa could no longer afford to remain a mere consumer of technology but must become a creator and innovator in defence solutions.

“The nature of warfare has evolved. The threats of today are asymmetric, digital, and often invisible. Our response must not be less dynamic,” the vice president said.
“We must invest in cyber defence, artificial intelligence, and indigenous military innovation. Africa cannot remain merely a consumer of technology. We must be creators, innovators, and owners of the tools that secure our tomorrow.”

Shettima noted that the summit offered an opportunity to reassess Africa’s military objectives and forge a new doctrine of continental defence anchored on trust, shared intelligence, and coordinated strategy.

Highlighting the range of threats across the continent—from insurgencies in the desert to piracy on the seas, cybercrime, and transnational criminal networks—he emphasised that no country could address these challenges in isolation.

“None of these tragedies respects borders, and neither should our response. What is true of our challenges must also be true of our resolve. We cannot neutralise these threats in isolation,” he said.

The Vice President further called for defence industrial cooperation, joint research partnerships, and stronger collaboration among African nations. He also urged the organised private sector to invest in defence technology, describing it as a strategic investment in the survival of nations.

According to Shettima, the continent must strengthen cooperation through joint training, harmonised doctrines, and interoperable defence systems.

“We are bound as a family, sharing not just borders but destiny. And in this family, defence is the first expression of love each member can promise the other,” he said.